Ears, Tails, and Instincts
by Kalira69
Summary: Naruto found a super cool-looking new jutsu . . . and Kakashi was just a little too slow to stop him from trying it out, with rather drastic effects for Team Seven. (Written for Sakura Month, Day 7)


Written for Day 7 of Sakura Month: Nekomimi

This is actually one of the prompts I didn't think I'd manage anything for . . . then I had a sudden idea a couple of days ago and wound up hurrying to write it (primarily yesterday) through the head fog that came with the cold I caught last weekend.

* * *

Sakura whined softly, then coughed on the smoke that had gotten into her lungs, waving her hands to try and clear the air immediately surrounding her. Everything was a bit . . . fuzzy in her mind, she just remembered. . .

 _"This is really cool!"_ Naruto, excited and loud. Then. . .

 _"Ah, Naruto, no- Do not trigger that-"_

Kakashi scolding, firm but not angry. Given Sakura's memory hopped directly from then to _this_ , she was willing to bet that whatever Kakashi had been telling Naruto not to do, he had done. She sighed, flexing her fingers and wondering what had gone wrong.

A sudden screech made Sakura yowl in fright, her ears flattening to the sides of her head and her tail lashing and-

Sakura's heart jumped into a painfully quick rhythm as she tentatively reached up to feel her ear, fluffy and thin and pointed and _entirely_ different than she remembered it. The scream came again, closer, and Sakura twitched and tensed, tail lashing as she looked around warily.

Footsteps pounded closer and Sakura bolted, panting with fear. She saw the bright shape rush out of the smoke but it took her a few moments to recognise _Naruto_ , not just a predator giving chase - pointed ears and thick pointed tail, fangs in a wide, feral grin and that _scream_. Sakura hissed angrily and lashed out with one foot, catching him across the face and sending him tumbling backwards.

He was up again in seconds, undaunted - barely _slowed_ \- and Sakura twisted to brace herself, baring her fangs and growling. Another shape shifted in the smoke and she tensed, gaze darting between Naruto and the new possible-threat as she backed away, swiping one hand at Naruto and holding the other out before her.

The new figure came closer, tall and lean, perked ears almost blending into spiky silver hair and a fluffily plumed tail half raised behind him. Kakashi cocked his head, one sharp eye sliding over Sakura and Naruto with not even a hint of its usual lazy droop. His body language was different, too - he stood tall, shoulders back and hands raised, nowhere near his pockets; he wasn't slouching, he was _hunting_.

Sakura yowled despairingly and turned to flee, knowing she stood no chance with them both chasing her and her instincts screaming to _get away_. She was breathless as she drove herself on hard, hearing a low growl and then another scream, and only one set of pounding feet following after her.

Sakura's ears twisted backwards, desperate to catch any sign of her second pursuer, _knowing_ that silence meant nothing with Kakashi behind her. She shuddered and kept running, eyeing a likely looking tree and tensing to leap up into its branches, then catching sight of the figure just beyond it.

Captain Yamato, who was _blessedly_ free of any odd behaviour or _new furry appendages_.

Sakura latched on to the hope that he would be able to help - at _least_ to maybe restrain the others - and headed straight for him.

* * *

Yamato made a single sign and collapsed his construct, lips pursing thoughtfully as he considered how to eliminate the weak point he had noticed on his last use of it in an actual combat situation. He faintly wished, not for the first time, that there was someone else he could actually _speak_ to about mokuton, someone he could learn from, work with. . . Then he pushed the fruitless wish away, as he always did.

A sound at his back caught his attention and he frowned, trying to identify it, and began to turn. Something slammed into him and Yamato spun, wincing a bit at the bite of- Claws?

He reached up to his own shoulders and pried off- "Sakura?" he said, startled, eyes catching on the soft triangular ears perking up from her messy hair, then the lashing feline tail. "What happened? Are you all right?" he asked.

Sakura trembled and Yamato tightened his grip on her shoulders carefully, steadying her.

She opened her mouth and let out a distressed, terrified-sounding yowl, and Yamato stiffened, his concern doubling. Then he heard an unholy screech and lifted his head, looking past her just in time to see Naruto, big, red-blonde ears poking up out of his tousled hair, almost _diving_ straight at them, his mouth wide open to show fangs. But his eyes were sky blue, his chakra felt only of his own, and there were no signs of the Kyuubi emerging. . .

Sakura yowled again, struggling away from Yamato's hands and twisting to slide behind him. He raised his hands to form seals, bargaining that containing Naruto in a wooden cage might be the best short-term option regardless. Naruto lunged and before Yamato could trap him Kakashi appeared out of nowhere, and Yamato's eyes widened as he took in his senpai's fluffy silver tail. Kakashi _barked_ , but Yamato was the only one paying any attention to him.

Sakura hissed, her ears lying flat, and Naruto slammed straight into Yamato's side, knocking the breath out of him and forcing him back a step. Sakura leapt lightly out of the way, sharp little teeth bared as she snarled and Naruto opened his mouth wider and _shrieked_ in return. Yamato cringed at the noise and brought his hands together again.

Kakashi caught Sakura by- by the _scruff_ , Yamato thought with a disconnected half-laugh, tugging her back lightly by the hold, and she thrashed, yowling despairingly. Kakashi gave a soft bark, shaking her, and she froze, save for a small tremble as she made a tiny, pitiful sound. He turned his head towards Naruto and growled, quiet and harsh, and Naruto's thick fox tail tucked almost flat against his legs.

"I can fix this," Kakashi said firmly, giving both of them a small shake, "but first _everyone needs to calm down_." He snorted, looking first at Naruto, then Sakura.

Sakura tilted her head, her tail curling down against her legs, and gave a soft, tiny mew. "I- Kakashi-sensei?" she said softly.

Kakashi angled a look at her. "Still in there, then?" he asked dryly, and Sakura ducked her head, ears pressing closer still into her hair. Kakashi released his grip on the back of her neck and gently patted her, but she stayed close to his side, eyeing Naruto warily.

"Sorry, sensei." Sakura said, raising one hand and fiddling with her hair in a manner that reminded Yamato rather uncomfortably more of a cat washing itself than a girl's distracted fidgeting.

Kakashi patted her again, this time atop her head, but she didn't protest even as she neatened her ruffled hair. "Naruto?" he questioned, giving Naruto another little shake.

Naruto snapped his fangs together, then pouted. "Kaka-sensei I don't know why you won't let me-" he broke off, head jerking to follow the shift of Sakura's tail. Kakashi hauled him back a little further.

"Yamato, would you go find Sai for me and bring him back." Kakashi ordered flatly, and Yamato winced. "So I can undo _this mess_." He glared at Naruto, who made a soft squeaky sound and rubbed the back of his head with one hand.

Yamato saluted and headed off to look for an ex-Root shinobi who had been suddenly subjected - at a guess - to the instincts of an unknown animal, quietly cursing his life. Then he heard the scuffle break out behind him, glanced around to see Kakashi wrestling Naruto back again, his face bleeding with four thin lines across his whiskers, presumably from Sakura's claws - and Sakura perched almost atop Kakashi's shoulders, hissing angrily, one hand digging into the shoulder of his flak jacket.

Yamato hurried up a bit in case Kakashi decided he wanted to go after Sai himself and leave _Yamato_ to watch those two. Hopefully he wasn't exaggerating when he said he could put things right, and hopefully it would be quick. . .

* * *

I imagined Sai also sprouting cat ears and tail, like Sakura, only he hied himself away from the nearby threats instantly (and effectively) when the instincts settled, with his background. But perhaps he had some other type of animal instincts/features.

(Naruto screams, of course, because that's the main vocalisation foxes make. . .)


End file.
